


Well I Didn't See That Coming

by mac_andcheeses



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26948542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mac_andcheeses/pseuds/mac_andcheeses
Summary: What if Alex wasn't in Kansas? Just another fix-it-fic to add to the collection of Jolex fanfiction
Relationships: Alex Karev & Jo Wilson Karev, Alex Karev/Jo Wilson Karev
Comments: 14
Kudos: 53





	1. Big announcements

**Author's Note:**

> The first instalment to a new fic I thought up as I was sitting in the ER yesterday high on pain meds and absolutely convinced that I was part of the Grey’s Anatomy writing team.
> 
> Please excuse my awful literacy skills - my sudden onset migraine said no to proof reading and I assume that will be and ongoing theme so don't expect it to get any better either
> 
> Enjoy! All the best, Mac x

No one quite knew how to feel about Alex leaving, Meredith included. She wanted so badly to be happy for him but she couldn’t help but feel abandoned. Everyday Meredith fought the urge to call him so that she can hear his voice again and tell him a funny story about a dumb intern to make him laugh. Last week she almost packed her bags and took Zola, Bailey and Ellis to Kansas just so that they could have a waffle Sunday together again. They’d been asking about him a lot, always wanting to know when they would see him again and why he didn’t say goodbye. Meredith always tried her best to give them a positive answer because she didn’t want them to realise just how angry she was at him, however when the kids started to ask questions about Jo instead she couldn’t hide her real feelings anymore. Meredith was mad at Alex for making her feel lonely but she knew Alex hadn’t shut her out for good. But Jo, that’s a completely different story because she was his wife and Meredith is furious at Alex for walking out on her. Despite getting off to a rocky start, Meredith had come to like Jo quite a lot and hated Alex for the pain he was most doubtedly putting her through. 

It was worrying Meredith how well Jo appeared to be dealing with it all. She knew better than anybody that it’s when someone is truly hurting that they tend to put on the brave face act the most. Yet Jo had been trying her best, rather successfully in fact, at avoiding Meredith completely. So much so that four weeks ago Meredith took the day off from work to sit outside the loft until Jo eventually returned home, having no choice but to talk to her. What she wasn’t expecting, however, was that it would be Levi Schmitt who returned home that evening instead of Jo. The lease had been signed over to him after Jo decided to take a last minute sabbatical. No texts, no phone calls, nothing - Jo was MIA. 

*********

Today was a world record number of Alex related questions received by Meredith and she was just about at her wits end. She was never mad at the patients because they didn’t know the situation, but Meredith was sick of the hospital staff whose only intention was to gain some extra gossip to discuss on lunch break. Having now enforced an Alex ban within the OR, the memo was slowly spreading throughout the department that Meredith was not the right person to ask. Typically though, that memo had not quite reached the idiot interns coming in for the start of their shifts. 

“You with the purple glasses” Meredith yelled in the direction of the closest intern she could find, sending them scurrying over towards her. “Find the post-op file for Mr Simpson in 503 so we can compare his stats”

“Oh yes Doctor Grey, I actually already did that sorry Doctor Grey” the intern mumbled back to her. 

“Well then where is it?” Meredith sighed as she rolled her eyes frustatenly at the intern who was now wasting her time. 

“I got them sent over to Doctor Karev. She was the general surgeon attending on the file” the owner of the purple glasses responded matter of factly, having expected Meredith to be praising her right about now instead of the angry expression she was receiving instead. “Was that not what I was supposed to do?” 

Meredith glared at her, genuinely shocked by the stupidity of the intern standing before her. “No it was not the right thing to do. Do you pay attention to anything that goes on around you? Doctor Karev has taken a leave of absence and has done for the last four weeks, hence why you probably haven’t seen her anywhere in this hospital for a while now.” Meredith huffed out in annoyance. 

“I’m really sorry Doctor Grey I hadn’t heard. I will fix my mistake right now I promise and it won’t happen again” the intern ramballed apologetically whilst staring at the ground below them. 

“Just get it done quickly please” Meredith nodded towards the young surgeon and was about to dismiss them when she suddenly felt the need to address the elephant in the room. Turning to the nurses desk beside her to address its occupants, Meredith found herself saying what she’d been wanting to say for weeks. “Okay listen up, Jo is gone - she left - she left because her husband and love of her life walked out on her to go live with his ex-wife on a farm in fucking Kansas of all places and she had to find out in a letter he sent her that was attached to signed divorce papers. Would you want to stick around at the place you used to work together after that? Where everyone knows you by the last name you got after marrying that man? I don’t think so.” Meredith took a moment to look around the room that was now filled with a collection of shocked faces and gossipy whispers. “So let this be a lesson to everyone that love undoubtedly sucks and you can’t trust anyone. They were perfect and meant to be together and when I thought about the future I saw a cute suburban neighbourhood with a house filled with little Alex and Jo’s running around with a minivan parked outside. Not this bullshit. So if one more person asks me what’s going on with Alex I will make your life so much of a living hell that you’d want to go join him on his perfect family farm with Izzie fucking Stevens in Kansas just to escape me.” 

Meredith immediately regretted her words as she processed what she’d just let slip from her lips. However she knew she’d really messed up when she’d turned around to walk away and seen Jo standing near the entrance of the building, clearly having heard every word of Meredith's dramatic rant. Now walking towards her with a smirk painted across her face, Jo addressed her co-workers to apologize on Meredith's behalf before turning her attention to Meredith herself “I am so happy I was here to witness that myself because I really thought it would be me to have the first Alex induced breakdown. I think you’re almost making me feel normal when I compare myself to what you just did.” 

“You’re back?” Meredith asked in a confused manner 

“I’m back” Jo smiled back reassuringly. “Except I’ve got nowhere to live, not since I sold the loft to Levi, so any chance Amelia’s old room is up for grabs?” 

Meredith laughed slightly at the notion that she could possibly say no to Jo but gave her the official nod of approval anyway. “Of course it is. Make yourself at home.” 

*********

Meredith wasn’t expecting a party when she got home but she was shocked to see that Jo had already gone to bed. She figured she’d at least be hanging around in the living room considering it was only 8.30pm in the evening. Having had a long and tiring day herself, Meredith took a note out of her friends book and headed up the stairs to turn in for an early night. But as she entered the hallway and noticed the quiet whimpers escaping Jo’s room, she pushed open that door instead of hers, revealing a red faced Jo on the other side. 

“Oh Jo. What’s wrong?” Meredith wondered if that was a stupid thing to ask because she knew what was wrong - it was about Alex - but she knew it had to be something more to get Jo in a state like this. 

“We were meant to move to a big house in the suburbs” Jo choked out between tears. “We were going to start a family together and take them on road trips to do all the things we never got to do ourselves as kids.” 

Meredith immediately realised that it had been her speech that had brought this on. “I was wrong before Jo. I shouldn’t have said it and I’m really sorry I did. You are so brave and so strong and I know that you will come back from this and realise that you are so much more than Alex’s wife. You’re going to do big things Jo and you will find someone who makes you happy again, happier than Alex ever could, and you will move to that house in the suburbs with them” Meredith said sympathetically as she wiped Jo’s tear stained cheek. 

“It wasn’t what you said Meredith” Jo said, shaking her head. “Well it wasn’t just what you said - there’s something else.” 

Meredith eyed Jo in confusion as she waited for her to clarify what she meant. Silence had taken over the room for what felt like hours, only broken when Jo stood up to grab some objects out of her purse and brought it back to place in front of Meredith on the bed. 

“How can they all be positive?” Jo cried out through additional whimpers, waving her arm towards the twelve positive pregnancy tests laid out on the duvet. 

“Well I didn’t see that coming” Meredith joked anxiously. Jo’s behaviour suddenly made sense and she felt sick thinking about all the things probably going through her head right now. “I know you think of me as Alex’s friend but I’m yours too. Well right now I hate his guts so I’m just yours. I will be there for you as much as you need me - however you decide to go about this. Hell I’ll even move to that stereotypical cul de sac suburban house with you if you want me to.” 

Jo laughed in response to Meredith's last words as she imagined the two of them playing happy families together. “Thanks Mer. You do sort of owe me for the last six years of free babysitting” she smirked back. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wrote five full chapters of this last night but somehow deleted everything this morning as I attempted to reboot my server. I can vaguely remember what happened in them but without the encouragement of the phenomenal medication I was given last night I'm afraid the updates will be rather slow :(
> 
> I'm wrapping up my last university paper in three weeks though and then will be off for the summer until February so I'm sure I'll find some time around then to post a few more chapters.


	2. Coming to terms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really thought this fic was fully abandoned at this point but apparently past Lina knew something I didn't because I found a whole chapter written so op- 
> 
> I’ll admit it’s a bit of an underwhelming update - it’s really just a filler chapter until I dig into the story down the line - but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless
> 
> I promise (now I've remembered it exists) I'm going to try and update it more and more!!!

An alarm blared at full volume at the opposite end of the room from Jo, stirring her out of the deep sleep she’d been having. Springing to life, immediately looking around for the source of the noise, she cursed Meredith under her breath for setting such an obnoxiously loud ringer. At least, Jo figured it was Meredith who had set it. There was nobody else home and the sound wasn’t coming from her phone. It was still black out so there was no way of knowing what the time actually was, but it was obvious from the lack of voices that it was way way earlier than she would choose to wake up. 

  
  


Having spent a majority of the previous night sobbing in Meredith’s embrace, all pregnancy talk had been pushed aside until another time. Jo was hoping that she’d get through her shift today without it coming up again but it appears her friend had other plans. The alarm was very clearly an attempt by Meredith to force Jo out of bed, so the two of them could continue their discussion. 

  
  


“Oh shut up, I get the picture alright,” Jo said, throwing the heavy duvet aside and crossing to the foot of the bed. Feeling around with her hands in the darkness, she soon came across a small wrist watch lying on the top dresser. “How on earth do you turn this stupid thing off?” Jo swung the strap around in frustration, the time it displayed having confirmed that it was in fact way too early to be awake. 

  
  


Unable to silence the off-putting sounds, Jo instead buried the watch at the bottom of the laundry hamper in the bathroom and climbed back into bed to snooze for another hour or so. She knew she was kidding herself, though, if she thought there was a chance in hell that Meredith would let her get away with it. 

  
  


“Oh no, you don’t. Get up,” Meredith ordered at Jo who was already slipping into sleep again. “Where on earth did you put my watch?” 

  
  


“Someplace where it can’t bother me,” Jo muttered grumpily, pulling another pillow over her head to block out the constant chatter from Meredith that followed. 

  
  


“Have you been listening to a word I’ve been saying?” Meredith sat down beside Jo on the bed. 

  
  


“No Meredith, I haven’t. I am ignoring you because I’m tired and want to sleep so please just leave me alone,” Jo pleaded. 

  
  


“I said, you can’t put a baby in the laundry basket,” Meredith reiterated. “Well, it never worked for me anyways,” she added with a chuckle. 

  
  


“Exactly. I’m enjoying my sleep whilst I get the chance.” 

  
  


“Are you going to tell him?” Meredith bit the bullet and asked, giving Jo a look of sympathy as she did. 

  
  


Jo buried herself under the covers in frustration. “I said get out!” 

  
  


“Okay...so no Alex talk?” Meredith paused. “Can I at least ask if-” 

  
  


“Mommy! Mommy!” Ellis’ voice interrupted. “Momma, I’m hungry. Can we have breakfast soon, please?” 

  
  


“In a minute, Ellie, Mommy just needs to finish talking to Auntie Jo first,” Meredith explained to the small child who had already climbed onto the bed beside her. 

  
  


“Did Auntie Jojo have a sleepover?” Ellis looked between the two adults curiously, burying herself under the covers to snuggle with her favourite aunt. 

  
  


Jo moved closer to cuddle with Ellis, twirling her blonde hair with her finger. “Ah-hm, I sure did.” 

  
  


“Why wasn’t I invited?” Ellis frowned disappointedly, crossing her arms across her chest in anger. 

  
  


Jo sighed at her niece’s dramatics, knowing full well that the child truly didn't care that much. She was definitely the best actor out of the three Grey-Shepherd kids and frequently used it to her advantage to get her way. “I’m going to be staying here for a while, so we will have lots of opportunities to have a sleepover with just you and me.” 

  
  


“Yay!” Ellis grinned with satisfaction. “Let’s go eat now!” 

  
  


Jo watched as Meredith exited the room, Ellis dragging her by the arm until the pair disappeared out of the doorway. Alone at last, sudden relief flooded over Jo as she realised she had successfully avoided her friend's questions for the time being. Usually Jo hated how early Meredith’s kids woke up, especially Ellis, but today she was incredibly grateful for the youngsters early bird ways. 

  
  


## ***

  
  


The following two weeks consisted of very similar interactions; Meredith trying to start a conversation left, right and centre – Jo spending every waking moment avoiding said conversation – neither Alex nor the pregnancy ever being properly discussed. But Meredith knew better than to push Jo when she wasn’t ready. She had been through hell and back this past year. First with the depression and rehab, then Alex leaving, and now with this pregnancy. So, she waited. She waited until Jo felt comfortable to talk about it again. 

  
  


However, with Jo’s morning sickness having really riled up these past few days, Meredith was finding it increasingly harder to bite her tongue. It had become routine for Jo to empty her guts before and after each surgery, never arriving early and most definitely never sticking around long enough afterwards to discuss post-ops. Meredith felt for her, she really did, but she was also extremely grateful that Jo had her own bathroom at home because otherwise hers would be occupied almost constantly. 

  
  


She had been watching her friend suffer from afar, lending a hand only when she’d asked for it, determined to let her figure out her mess on her own. But she’d let it go on long enough now because Jo clearly needed some more support than she’d been getting. 

  
  


“Here,” Meredith passed Jo the bottle of ginger ale and box of saltines she’d picked up from the store on her way home from work. “We need to talk.” 

  
  


“I’m not in the mood, Meredith,” Jo whined from her spot on the couch, throwing her head back in frustration. 

  
  


“I don’t care anymore,” Meredith shuffled next to her, “you’re obviously not doing very well and what kind of friend would I be if I just stood by and watched?” 

  
  


“A friend who stayed out of other people's business, maybe?” Jo took a sip of her drink. 

  
  


“You wouldn’t have told me about the baby if you didn’t want my help, so let me help.” 

  
  


“There’s nothing you can do to help me, unless you can magically bring Alex back from the middle of nowhere Kansas. So let me wallow in my self pity while I can and I don’t have another human depending on me because pretty soon that’s going to change.” 

  
  


“Have you had a scan yet?” Meredith ignored her attempts to shut the conversation down. 

  
  


“No, I haven’t had the chance yet.” 

  
  


“Well then you’re having one first thing tomorrow, before rounds. I’ll organise an early one with Carina,” Meredith made a note in her phone. “Then you’ve got to tell the chief you’re pregnant. Do you want me to go with you?” 

  
  


Jo didn’t respond, instead rolling her eyes unamused. 

  
  


“Jo?” Meredith repeated. “I’m obviously going to come with you for your scan, but I wasn’t sure if you’d want me there for Bailey too.” 

  
  


“I can do Bailey by myself,” Jo mumbled, clenching her teeth together in frustration. 

  
  


“See, that wasn’t so bad was it?” Meredith teased. “Look at all of these decisions being made.” 

  
  


“Yeah, yeah, it’s all so great. Can I go back to watching the TV now?” Jo deflected once again. 

  
  


“Ignore me all you like but very soon that baby is going to be making itself very pretty obvious to the people around you and I’m just trying to help you get your head wrapped around it all before then.” 

Jo’s safe softened slightly as she realised just how much Meredith truly cared for her. For weeks since Alex had left, she’d been crying buckets over going ahead with the pregnancy alone, but she wasn’t going to be alone after all. It was now plainly obvious to her that people like Meredith weren’t exactly going to make themselves scarce, let alone disappear all together. She could always count on them to be there when she needed them. 

And so, doing just that, Meredith kept to her word and joined Jo at her ultrasound appointment the next morning. Waiting anxiously in Carina’s office, Jo shuffled on the paper lining below her, squeezing tight to the hand her friend was offering beside her. She was scared. Not of finding out that something was wrong, but of seeing something in her baby that reminded her of Alex. It’s the exact reason she also wanted the baby to be a girl, hoping for as little resemblance to its father as possible. 

“Buongiorno,” Carina entered the room cheerfully, pulling Jo out of her daze. “I was wondering when you’d come by to see me. I was shocked it took you so long.” 

Jo’s face morphed with confusion, “I don’t understand, how would you know I was coming?” 

“Oh Jo, this is my specialty. I am very good at noticing pregnancies on a stranger so, on my coworker, you can bet I’m even better. I’ve known since the moment you got back two weeks ago,” Carina offered a reassuring smile. “Now, let’s go over these blood results you ordered first and then we’ll begin the ultrasound.” 

  
  


## ***

  
  


Meredith arrived home later that night to faint whispers coming from one of the bedrooms upstairs, neither Jo nor her kids initially visible. Lego sets were sprawled out across her carpet in the living room and empty plates filled the sink in the kitchen, all signs that her children had once been there. Muttering annoyances at the fact that Jo had, once again, allowed her kids to go to bed before cleaning up after themselves, Meredith started to tidy up the mess herself. 

“Is that you, Meredith?” Jo’s voice called out from the other side of the house. 

“Yeah, it’s me. I’m just tidying up the mess and then I’ll be up,” Meredith yelled back. 

“I’ll help you after,” Jo sounded almost guilty, except Meredith knew full well it had been her plan to leave it all along. “Come up to Zola’s room and join us.” 

“What’s happening here?” Meredith entered the bedroom, laughing at the sight of her three children piled into a kid sized bed with Jo squeezed in the middle. 

“We’re looking at pictures of the baby!” Bailey held an ultrasound picture up proudly for his mom to see. 

“Look, you can kind of make out its arm here,” Zola signalled for Jo to show Meredith another picture in the pile. 

“They’re very cool, aren’t they?” Meredith sat down at the foot of the bed, pulling an exhausted Ellis onto her lap. “That’s what all of you looked like once.”

“Nuh-uh, not me!” Bailey disagreed. “Maybe Ellis, because she’s so little.”

“Especially you,” Jo tickled the blonde haired boy, “that was all the way back when I was just an intern.” 

“Why don’t we go downstairs and put one of these up on the fridge?” Meredith suggested. “Then, we’ll brush our teeth and head off to bed.” 

“That sounds perfect,” Jo nodded a quiet thank you, before following the three excited kids out of the room. 

Meredith stayed behind, typing out a message on her phone.

**> >> ** _ Bailey, I’m going to Kansas. Don’t tell Jo where I’ve gone.  _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: @mac-andcheeses


End file.
